Declan Goudet Gloster
Declan Goudet GLOSTER (12 years), second son of Catherine and Paul Gloster, brother of Yannick and Eoghan.
Together with a sparkle in his eyes, Declan always had either a big smile, or a determined look on his face.
He was eager to start school. As a toddler, when collecting his older brother Yannick from Navy Door at Montessori Center School, he always wanted to be early so he could spend time in the class. He was so happy for the three years he was a student in the class himself: he loved the atmosphere of the classroom, his teachers and friends there.
After graduating from Navy Door, he went to Vieja Valley Elementary School. There, it was “knockout” on the basketball court and books, always books. He wanted to be dropped off early and picked up late, to bike on “Bike to School Day” and generally to participate in whatever was going on. Getting that bit older, he nurtured his sense of humor, sometimes it was sarcastic, sometimes he saw things as funny when not everyone else did.
He was not only serious and good at school but he also excelled at many outdoor activities. He was an avid sailor with SB Seashells, loved the ocean and learned to kite board in Ireland. During his summers in France, he enjoyed horse riding, swimming, fishing, surfing, biking and kayaking with friends. He felt a special connection when visiting family in Ireland and France every summer. When snowboarding in Mammoth, he’d take the first lift up in the morning, and the last lift up in the evening to make most of the day.
A few years ago, an outreach from the SB Symphony brought musical instruments to his classroom and the cello enthralled him. It turned out to be more challenging to learn than he thought it would be, but true to form, he persevered and developed a genuine appreciation for the instrument. His music community brought him great pleasure.
Over the years, all who knew him could see he was kind hearted, smart, determined, sometimes naughty, mostly funny and easy to talk to.
When a rare spinal cord tumor was detected in January 2015, it wasn’t a surprise to see that he just worked very hard to regain his health and strength. With his positive outlook, he saw every medical procedure as a pathway to get better, and his hours and hours of occupational and physical therapy, as enabling him to live life to the fullest. He could no longer play cello so he took up piano, he switched boats from one that required physical dexterity to one that rewarded subtle judgment, he traded his regular bike for a sleek recumbent. He learned to play cards.
From late August with his cancer metastasized and his body failing him, he continued to show his focus, drive and an incredible courage. He just never gave up and maximized every moment. He trusted the love from his family and friends until the very end. He died peacefully in his sleep at home.
Declan lived his short life to its fullest. His contagious energy and overall enthusiasm will be remembered by his many friends. Eoghan asked to say that “Declan was the greatest brother that one could have”. A private funeral took place on Thursday December 31st, 2015 at Goleta Cemetery. A public Memorial Service to celebrate Declan’s life will take place on Saturday February 27, 2016 at 4:30 pm at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club. Friends are invited to share their memories of Declan and to celebrate his life.
Declan was an astute judge of character. We would like to pay tribute to his many friends from Montessori Center School, Vieja Valley Elementary, Cello and from the Seashells for their kindness and meaningful friendship during his illness.
His cancer tissue was donated for research to Stanford so his fight against pediatric neurological cancer goes on in a new form. The cell line of his cancer cells will help in the understanding of this terrible disease and the development of future therapies.
In Declan’s memory, please consider making a tax deductible financial donation to support pediatric brain cancer research by going to Declan’s Webpage: https://my.supportlpch.org/declan